The world is merely the energy of Chaos bound into form by Order. Order masters are individuals who were born with an innate ability to manipulate the lawful forces of the universe. Order masters learn to live their lives in agreement with these forces, to the point at which they are the focus for these Lawful forces in the never ending dance with Chaos.

While every order master is a strong support spellcaster, they may take additional roles as crafters, fighters, offensive spellcasters or skill users depending on their specialties that they choose.

Abilities: Wisdom is most important for order masters as it affects the strength of their spells as well as their spells per day. In addition, every order master can benefit from a high Constitution or Intelligence score for the extra hit points and skills. Generally the specialties an order master selects allows for any distribution of ability scores as long as they have a high Wisdom score.

Races: Order masters are most common among the lawfully aligned races such as Dwarves and Gnomes as well as in generally neutral races like Humans. Order masters can even be found among chaotic races such as Elves and Orcs, but they are less common. It is believed that the powers order masters possess may be the result of some lawful outsider ancestry or a close connection a race has with the lawful forces of the universe.

Order masters gain some weapon and armor proficiencies as well as some features associated with their connection to lawful forces. They also gain a variety of support based spells and additional benefits depending on their magic specialty and their training specialty. All of the following are class features of the order master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Order masters are proficient with all simple weapons plus one light or one-handed martial bludgeoning weapon of their choice. Order masters are proficient with light armor, but not shields (including tower shields). Order masters do not incur an arcane spell failure chance from light armor or from carrying anything lighter than a heavy load. They also do not incur an arcane spell failure chance for any other armor or shields they specifically get a proficiency feat for (In which case they would be able to carry heavier loads without incurring an arcane spell failure penalty).

Spells: An order master casts divine spells. They must prepare their spells ahead of time the way a cleric does and require a Wisdom score of 10 + Spell Level to prepare/cast a spell. The DC against an order master's saving throw is equal to 10 + Spell Level + Order Master's Wisdom Modifier. Order masters prepare their spells from the following list:

Aversion to Chaos: Order masters not only obtain their magic from the world's lawful forces, but they are part of them too. Thus being the source of extreme destruction (which is considered a form of chaos) they act against a part of themselves. Order Masters using a slashing weapon take a -2 penalty on attack rolls and those using a piercing weapon take a -1 penalty to attack rolls. For weapons that are considered multiple types use the type with the greatest penalty to determine the overall penalty. Order masters also may not willingly use a chaotic aligned weapon/armor/equipment/item or else they suffer (Caster Level of the Object - (Order Master Level / 2) rounded down) non-lethal damage that cannot be healed as long as the object is held. These penalties cannot be removed without becoming an Ex-Order Master (See below).

Lawful Aura: Order masters radiate a lawful aura whose strength is based on their class level. This functions just like the cleric's aura except it is only lawful.

Magic Specialty: At 1st level an order master must select a single magic specialty from the list below. Each magic specialty grants an effect and gives additional spells that the order master could prepare at the specified spell level. An order master may never change their magic specialty unless extraordinary circumstances allow it (Dungeon Master's choice). In such cases all remnants of the previous magic specialty are lost and the powers of the new one are adopted retroactively. Here are the magic specialties (Note that some specialties have prerequisites):

Training Specialty: At 1st level an order master must select a training specialty from the list below. Each training specialty may or may not grant an order master additional abilities, skills, etc. An order master may never change their training specialty unless extraordinary circumstances allow it (Dungeon Master's choice). In such cases all remnants of the previous training specialty are lost and the powers of the new one are adopted retroactively. Here are the training specialties (Note that some training specialties have prerequisites):

Table: Order Master Training Specialties

Training Specialty Name

Prerequisites

Effect

Combat

None

Improve your base attack bonus progression for this class to that of a Rogue

You may select fighter feats for the bonus feats provided by this class

Crafting

None

Add the following as class skills: Appraise (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int)

You may select item creation feats for the bonus feats provided by this class

Knowledge

Intelligence Score of at least 14

Add all Knowledge (Int) skills as class skills

You may select metamagic feats for the bonus feats provided by this class

Detect Chaos/Law (Xft) (Sp): At level 3 order masters may use the spells Detect Chaos or Detect Law at will as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to their order master level. Instead of a cone shaped area, however, this ability has a radius indicated in parenthesis (X). The radius is 30ft at level 3 and increases by 20ft every 3 levels beyond 3rd level.

Bonus Feat: At levels 5, 10, 15 and 20 order masters gain a bonus feat. This feat can be of the type allowed by their order specialty or one of the following (Order masters must still meet all prerequisites for these feats): Alertness, Armor Proficiency (Any), Eschew Materials, Great Fortitude, Greater Spell Focus, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Shield Proficiency (Any), Spell Focus and Spell Penetration.

Ordered Soul: At level 5, order masters may choose to use this ability whenever they cast a spell from this class with variable numeric effects. They must choose to do so before they roll to determine the results. All such spells deal or heal half the maximum possible result. This means that a cure light wounds spell (whose variable properties may result in healing 1 to 8 hp) will automatically heal 4 hp.

Order Focus (Su): At level 13, order masters become order focuses. Order focuses describe individuals who represent the will and strength of the lawful energies that govern the universe in a constant dance with the chaotic forces. Order focuses gain a +1 enhancement bonus to AC and saving throws against creatures with the chaotic subtype, creatures native to a plane that is at least mildly chaotic, chaotically aligned weapons and spells with the chaotic type.

Timeless Body (Ex): At level 18, order masters achieve perfect control of the order in their bodies. Order masters no longer incur aging penalties (although bonuses still accrue), but they still die when their time is up. Penalties received before achieving this ability are removed.

Perfect Order: At level 20, order masters may increase their ability scores. They may improve any one physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity and Constitution) by 1 or either one mental ability score (Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma) by 2 or two mental ability scores by 1. This change affects all your ability scores retroactively so if your Constitution or Intelligence scores are increased enough to increase their modifiers then your new Con or Int modifiers are applied to every HD or skill point increase you have.

Order masters that are no longer lawful or willingly create world changing amounts of chaos (Dungeon Master's decision) may no longer advance as an order master. They retain all features of this class except for the ability to cast spells with the healing or lawful descriptors. Order masters may atone for themselves with an atonement spell cast by someone with a lawful alignment and by becoming lawful again.

Like a member of any other class, an order master may be a multiclass character, but multiclass order masters face a special restriction. An order master who gains a new class or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise her order master level, though she retains all her order master abilities.

Alternatively, Order masters may exchange all their order master levels for Chaos Wielder levels (subject to Dungeon Master's approval). They may make this transfer between order and chaos only once ever or suffer a complete and irreversible death (by any means except a wish or miracle spell). Skill points in skills that are no longer class skills must be reassigned. In this case they must adopt a nonlawful alignment and change their magic and training specialties according to the following table:

Bonus Feats: If Intelligence is 13 or higher, Combat Expertise; if Intelligence is 12 or lower Scribe Scroll instead

Gear: Backpack (filled with 11 sheets of parchment, 2 inkpens, a 10 oz. vial of ink, a flint and steel, 3 torches, 50ft of hempen rope with a grappling hook attached, 4 days worth of trail rations and a healer's kit), a winter blanket, a bedroll, a waterskin and a spell component pouch.

Religion: Not all order masters revere deities, but those that do typically revere lawful deities like Heironeous, St. Cuthbert, Wee Jas and Hextor (Plus racial deities like Moradin and Yondalla). Every order master respects and devotes themselves to the lawful forces of the universe in some way. Order masters may think of order as a force of nature or the combined will of lawful creatures or even in some cases as a deity in its own right. All order masters also accept the existence of chaos, but whether they approve of it or not is a different issue.

Other Classes: Order masters get along well with every other class, except maybe Chaos Wielders or chaotic clerics. It is not a requirement that Order masters hate these classes, in fact it is possible for them to get along incredibly well (To the point of a happy marriage even). Many order masters feel uncomfortable around large sources of chaos, but some learn to live with it. Order masters can take very different roles depending upon their magic and training specialties, but generally everyone in a party can appreciate the support they give.

Combat: Order masters can hold their own in a fight (Especially if their training specialty is combat), but they can take any position in combat they desire. An order master can stay back and support his allies or fight alongside them. In some cases (depending on your magic specialty), order masters can batter opponents with offensive magic.

Advancement: Order masters are best categorized as support spellcasters with skill use and combat capabilities. They do not gain any benefit from multiclassing to get weapon or armor proficiencies due to their Aversion to Chaos and Arcane Spell Failure restrictions and all they can get from other spellcasting classes is a larger variety of offensive spells. Some order masters may appreciate the extra skill points and class features from the Rogue and Bard classes, but taking too many levels in these classes will only take away from the order master's greatest strength, spells. Prestige classes that continue to increase your caster level are the only real viable option for order masters besides only being an order master.

Order masters are typically found trying to create order wherever they go: some travel and help villages they pass, some lead entire civilizations (whether it be as a dictatorship or a land of justice depends on their alignment on the Good vs Evil axis), some build, some try and fix every village/city/home into the same image.

Daily Life: The life of an order master is generally a constant struggle to maintain order (Or just living within it if they have it). Order masters do not commonly look for fights and if they must fight they spend their time building up an arsenal of possible combat options before they actually fight. Evil order masters are known for their cunning subtlety and webs that they weave in preparation for obtaining power and Good order masters are known for spending time helping every individual they can along the way to a bigger goal. Many order masters feel uncomfortable leaving chaos behind them and thus they spend a lot of time "ordering" things as they go along.

Notables: The most notable order masters were Nylan the smith, the mighty Creslin and Talryn, the order mad. Nylan was among the first order masters and was known for his crafting skill and mastery over earth. Creslin came many years later and destroyed entire legions of Chaos Wielders with his dual short swords and his control of the winds. Talryn was a ruler of a long forgotten land who was so obsessed with maintaining order that he went mad and started destroying his own land in pursuit of "perfect order".

Organizations: Order masters tend to gather as a ruling council, crafting community, studying community or family (Since the powers are hereditary).

NPC Reactions: Many people are afraid of the magic order masters possess, but come to appreciate it if an order master demonstrates it.

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (the planes) can research order masters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (the planes) or Knowledge (arcana)

DC

Result

5

This spellcaster draws their power from arcane sources.

10

This spellcaster is most likely an Order Master who typically have healing spells.

15

Order masters draw their power from lawful forces and can specialize in different aspects of magic.

20

Order masters are spellcasters capable of holding their own in combat. Their spells are mostly of the abjuration, divination, enchantment, illusion and transmutation magic schools.

Order masters are support spellcasters that have skill and combat capability. They can easily join any party and can take the role of a cleric easily.

Adaptation: One possible order master variant is the multi-magic specialist (Which trades your Bonus Feats in for an additional Magic Specialty (You may not select both Earth and Weather as your specialty)).

Sample Encounter: The party needs to find a wise man to (revive their fallen comrade/seek the location of something/heal their wounds) and here of an old man at the edge of town. Little do they know that this man requires payment in knowledge for his services...